Agro-meteorological indices and their relationship with yield of finger millet (Eleusine coracana L.) under different sowing windows in semi-arid Maharashtra

A field experiment was conducted during Kharif 2024 at the Agricultural Meteorology Research Farm, College of Agriculture, Pune, Maharashtra, India, to evaluate the impact of sowing windows and varietal differences on agro-meteorological indices and their relationship with finger millet yield. The experiment followed a split-plot design with four sowing windows (24, 26, 28, and 30 Meteorological Weeks) and three varieties (Phule Nachani, Phule Kasari, and Dapoli-3). Observations were recorded for Growing Degree Days (GDD), Photo-Thermal Units (PTU), Helio-Thermal Units (HTU), Hydro-Thermal Units (HyTU), Heat Use Efficiency (HUE), Light Use Efficiency (LUE), and weather-yield relationships. Results indicated that sowing during 26 MW with the variety Phule Kasari accumulated the highest thermal and hydrothermal units, achieved superior efficiency indices, and produced maximum yield. Grain yield showed significant positive correlations with rainfall (r = 0.72) and relative humidity (r = 0.65), and a negative correlation with maximum temperature (r = -0.68*). The study highlights the predictive value of agro-meteorological indices in optimizing sowing schedules and ensuring climate-resilient millet production in semi-arid regions.